Adventures in Authentication

Ian Upton

Introduction

the BUILDER model our authentication needs LDAP / NDS Talis conclusions

The BUILDER Model

?

login

session

dynamic pages

The BUILDER Model

Fred BloggsUndergraduate StudentDepartment of History

Wallet

login

session

dynamic pages

Our Authentication Needs

a member of our institution status department BUILDER string

holding Athens on users behalf

BUILDER

WEB SERVER

Our Authentication Needs

BUILDER SQL

lots of work to set uplots of work to maintainis a duplication

BUILDER

WEB SERVER

Our Authentication Needs

Existing System

initial set upmaintenance free

no duplication

BUILDER

WEB SERVER

Our Authentication Needs

Talis

library systembased on UID

NDS

campus network systembased on campus login

LDAP / NDS

campus network is Novell we are installing an NDS ‘tree’ everything / everyone in the tree can be queried using LDAP meets BUILDER’s needs

LDAP / NDS

Infrastructure Issues security reliability needs confidence

LDAP / NDS

installation issues NT perl versions and DLL libraries test system blues

no go without SSL reliant on completion of tree

eg: no access in medical school

LDAP / NDS

Where are we TODAY? proved the technology works

NT / Perl / Libraries

test system in place developing the web front end confidence testing 20 person days so far still a long way to go

Talis

library system is BLCMP Talis BUILDER developing toolbox all key members of institution pre-

registered with Talis authentication tool ‘fell out’! meets BUILDER’s needs

Talis

infrastructure issues none

installation issues none that had not been previously

solved by other toolbox functions

errors in Talis data appearing

Talis

Where are we TODAY? authentication is in use

electronic short loan exam paper database (shortly) test use by other bham web site

developing BUILDER string4 person days so far

Conclusions

looked at BUILDER Needs LDAP / NDS Talis

Conclusion

NDS / LDAP standards based

sledgehammer to crack a nut! useful in longer term

Talis simple solution that works limited in longer term

http://builder.bham.ac.uk